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Topic: Ghanris (Read 3434 times)

[OOC]Please let me work on this. If you have suggestions, comments and questions, by all means, post them in the OOC Ghanris area, but I want this thread to stay clean, so it flows better. ta-Shadoweagle[/OOC]

Onwards...

The candle is half melted but I have finally gathered myself to write these words, and the words I write henceforth will be the most difficult I have ever written for with these words, I seal my fate. Within these stoned walls of this dark basement, I have sat for hours watching the weak flame flicker. That flame is quite a bit like life nowdays on Ghanris - battling against the darkness which threatens to envelop it; flickering weakly, never sure of when its own death comes.But, dear reader, I am sure you do not want to hear of this darkness in the basement. No, there are more pressing matters in which I must write of. I do not know who reads this, but I do hope it will shed light on you; for what has happened to this world. Most have forgotten why these lands are plagued by evil, sickness, and beasts which dwell on the corner of your vision. Within these texts is a full account on the world as it is today. Though you may know much of the information which is written here I urge you, reader, to study it in your fullest anyway. For I truly believe that knowledge is power, in this blasted world.

But to start, my friend, I will write to you about the history of Ghanris. And yes, there IS history to this world, reader, for it was not always as it is. I will tell the TRUE past.

Although this world has changed, reader, you will find that us, as humans, did not. Ever were we under opression from evils. Several thousand years ago, from the beginning of the written word the world was not constantly shrouded in darkness as it is now. However, humankind was branded cattle by Great creatures, the likes of which is not seen nowdays for reasons which I will confide to you later. These beasts were Enormous - a single swipe of their claws could topple the highest of towers. Great, inpenetrable hides of scales protected them. powerful, webbed wings caused great gusts whenever beaten. Indeed, armies could be smitten in minutes by a single one of these creatures. For many thousands of years these beasts reigned over us, calling themselves gods and preying over us for reasons only determined by their own, infathomable logic. I still remember these beasts, for t'was naught but seventy four years ago that they were felled.I once had the honour of meeting the 'hero' who vindicated our right to live. A proud, noble man, who you could see was destined for greatness. I never caught his name.

Throughout his many years of wandering, he discovered a holy place, a sacred shrine to a god darker, and even more terrible than the dragons themselves. The hero described this place as follows:

Many days of searching the cave had finally proved fruitful. Deep beneath the bowels of the earth I entered a room which appeared crafted by a giant hand, and not constructed by any mortal. Indeed, the second I placed a foot within it I felt how ancient this place was. And I knew immediately that this place was older, even, than the great dragons which ravaged the lands so many meters above me. Indeed, it felt older even than Ghanris itself! Within the confines of these stoned walls, I came upon an altar, and at each corner of the altar rested four candles, ever-flickering, but never melting. As I lay my hand on that alter, the room appeared to... warp. Where once there was only plain stone walls, floor and roof, eldritch symbols etched themselves as though an invisible hand were scribing a fell incantation. From each of these symbols, blood wept, and a dark whisper began to echo unintelligably in the silence, as though reading the symbols which were written. The candles hue tinted and in the darkness of the room, those runes glowed. As the last curve of the final symbol was etched, silence reigned once more for what appeared an eternity. Finally, I felt within me... no, within the universe... the very fabric of reality vibrate an off-chord, and I felt terror greater than any I had ever felt before. It was akin to the terror one would feel seeing a slumbering great wyrms eye jolt open when you are next to it. Although a thousandfold. A millionfold. Indeed, I would have died from that sensation alone, had there not been an external influence, forcing my soul to remain within my body.In an instant, I felt my soul bieng opened up by an infathomable power and all my secrets revealed to this omnipotent presence. This prescence communicated to me within my head, and with each letter of each word, I felt my mind shatter into oblivion, only to be recreated forcefully by this... bieng, so that I may live to hear its words. It told me that it would reward my waking of its slumber, by giving the means to destroy the great Wyrms. With the last word, I felt my body and mind rip apart and felt myself fall into nothingness. I woke, finally - as though I had been comatose for years - to find myself outside the entrance of the cave. But the cave was there no longer, and in my hand was stone. A simple stone, which instilled in me a sense of terror greater than the dragons could ever give to me.

This hero crafted a spear out of this 'gift' of the stone. When thrust at at a dragon, this weapon parted through the inpenetrable scales as though they were cloth. Within several years, near all of the creatures had been destroyed. I was thirty four at the time of the last known dragons demise. There was festivities in the streets for months. The spear had fallen into a great many hands, reader. I now have it next to me, and will store it with this letter. Perhaps you could find a use for it.

But, you may ask, what is the relevance of this history of the great wyrms? Well, our 'savior' from the beasts set in motion the events that now cause our world to be so ravaged. For that presence which he awoke within the bowels of the earth is the dark god which takes hold over this world now. No, the god did not fall back into slumber, and now there is little hope for the universe, for I have never felt a more powerful presence. After all, this bieng did manage to destroy hundreds of the great, allpowerful wyrms, using a single rock. There is only little hope left, my friend, and that hope lies within the travellers, which I will write to you about a bit later on. But next, I shall tell you about the terrain of our world, so that if you travel it you are more prepared.

If you are to travel the world of Ghanris, reader, I urge you greatly to read that which I have recorded in here, for it may very well save you from oblivion.

The sun shines only weakly overhead nowdays, flickering like the candle which is on my desk in front of me. The brightest part of day is now as bright as what we used to call dusk.The world of Ghanris is split into two main continents with three smaller continents between them. The continent I am on, called Thur'mar, is the larger of the two main lands, and the second has been named Gali'mar. The three smaller, from largest to smallest, are Telli'so, Damis'so and Que'so. Que'so is little more than a blasted desert, and Damis'so is naught but rainforest. The rest of the continents have varied climates and as such range from mountainous, to deserts, forests, snow and woodlands. On the continent of Gali'mar there is a section eighty miles across and fifty long, which we simply call the 'blasted lands'. This land is quite simply dead. It is not a natural land, though, it is a blight inflicted upon the very world by the dark god, and has been expanding ever since his awakening. I fear that if untended to, this blight will expand to the entire continent, making it uninhabitable in a few centuries time. It may even spread to the rest of the world.

As you no doubt have noticed, reader, the world is not so easily divided into what we used to call 'night' and 'day'. The shadowmists which glide throughout the skies like clouds shroud the land in a darkness in which the sun can barely glint through. One may never predict where and when a Shadow mist will come and go, so with as little as twenty minutes warning of the darkness on the horizon you could be huddling in your houses in the pitch black, in the middle of the day. But the Shadow mists are the least of any travellers problems, for outside the confines of the walled cities and towns you cannot be protected from anything, and there are few magi to damper the threats of what the dark god has done to this world. The very land may crumble beneath you. Water may abruptly begin to boil whilst you are swimming in it. Even trees may become animated and swing at you while you are travelling, and I'm sure I needn't mention the multitudes of mishappen creatures. And then there are the other mists. The Shadow mists - while hindering - arent overly threatening, but there are other mists which you should stay clear of. None of these span high enough to reach over the walls of a town, but you may encounter them in your travels.. I will list some of the more dangerous of them here for you.

Night-breath of the Dark God: Very dark grey/black, wispy in nature. Nearly opaque. Moves as quickly as a bird of flight.This mist flies many meters up in the air. Sunlight is unable to pierce through the dark haze, and as such when this mist comes over it becomes as though nighttime had fallen. This was the first of the mists to be seen.

Mind-bite of the Dark God: Grey/white and thin, not difficult to see through. Slow moving or stationary.This is a mist which, when you are inside it, slowly grates into your mind to destroy segments of your memory. People have come out of this mist forgetting who they are, let alone where they are, how to use weapons, even how to read. Some have been found wandering the wilderness, just shells with no mind remaining at all.

Blistered Plague of the Dark God: Slight crimson hue, semi-transparent. Moves at walking speed.Those who are caught within this mist slowly begin to develop boils and sores on their skin. Within a day inside this, a person may have ten or twenty large boils and bleeding marks on them. Within a few days, they will be unrecognisable.

Agony of the Dark God: Nearly invisible mist, simply looks like a collection of water vapour. very slow moving.Those within this vapour will begin to notice a faint throbbing pain somewhere on their body. More pain may appear and go, as though something was striking them, or as though they had a toothache, or any other manner of sensations. The pain can never kill, but left long enough in the mist, the intensity will increase, and they may become insane from the agony. It would take the better part of a week for someone to get to this stage.

These mists can stretch for only a hundred meters, or for several miles. As you can see, dear reader, this world is not a safe place in the least. Outside the towns, it is unpredictable, and often fatal, Take care. There are indeed many more dangers to this world, and many locations which I have not yet mentioned. Perhaps I will add to this further on but for now, it is time to tell you of gods and the wanderers.

The words within these particular scrolls detail the Gods - past and present - which have watched over this world, and you would do well to read this in great detail, for very few in this world know the truth of such matters.

The AncientsThe earliest of written words detail the presence of great celestial biengs of whom would watch over humankind, offering them plentiful food and comfortable climes. These same scriptures tell also, however, of the growth of a great darkness of which spewed the essence of hell upon life and beat down the comfort of life with great claws. Three was the number of the Ancient ones, and indeed they were powerful. However, they were not a match for the growing death in the form of the great wyrms who were not deemed a threat until it was too late.

Ghal'Thurinal - The Ancient of Growth.Though the three were equal in power, they differed in age. The Ancient of Growth was the eldest of the trio, and held dominion over the ability to make all life age into maturity. To live long, prosperous lives and to determine the natural order of life and death. Indeed, some scholars believe, dear reader, that Ghal'Thurinal was the one who first breathed the spark of life in the very earth, the trees and animals, and even humans.

Ul Ramis'Trakthar - The Ancient of Experience.The second Ancient god, neither eldest nor youngest, is written to be Ul Ramis'Trakthar, the Ancient of Experience as from the first spark of life, one is subject to experience. It is this god, it is said, which instilled knowledge into humankind. All of lifes ability to learn is trailed back to the gift of experience which Ul Ramis'Trakthar bestowed upon us. It is this god which allows us to react on instinct.

Oesepholus Chamelus - The Ancient of Knowledge.While Ul Ramis'Trakthar bestowed upon the world the ability to learn through experience, the youngest of the Ancient ones - Oesepholus Chamelus - endowed life with the ability to learn pre-emptively through study. Where Ul Ramis'Trakthar gives us the gift of instinct, it is Oesepholus Chamelus which has given us the enigma of evolution.

There are no recounts of whether these gods walked through the lands as men, or watched over from above. To date, there has been no findings of statues or inscriptions which show how these gods may have appeared to the mortal eye. While these three gods were instilled with the power of life itself, they did not see the great wyrms as a threat until the beasts had grown enough to rival them for the very throne of the world.

The Great WyrmsTo begin I must say it is not solidly recorded where the great wyrms - or Dragons, as I will henceforth call them - originated. Some texts suggest a birth from the very earth itself. What is known is that they were not created and granted Knowledge and wisdom from the Ancients, but from some other source. There were not many Dragons - their numbers barely reached into the hundreds - and they did not procreate, But then, they grew beyond the constraints of death, so new birth was not required.I apologise, dear reader, but I am afraid that time and resources do not permit me to detail each of these great beasts. Perhaps I shall add some of the more prominent ones at a later date.

Upon seeing the threat of the dragons, the ancients - who had the respect of humankind - rallied up enormous armies, bestowing them power and leading the phalanxes against the great beasts. But to no avail - Vastly underestimating the creatures and blinded by the glory of their current gods, the armies were decimated within a day by fire and caustic liquids spewed from the mouths of the beasts. Humankind did not know what happened to the ancient gods. All that is written is that they felt the presence of the gods disappear from the world, one by one, during this battle. Crestfallen that their all-powerful deities were crushed so easily, humankind succumbed to the power of the dragons, and were thusly forced into a life of constant fear of a dragon attack.The dragons ruled unchallenged, until the coming of a hero, and an awakening of a new god.

The Dark GodIt is this part of my words of which I am having the most trouble writing, friend reader, for in the next paragraphs I will outline the awakening and presence of the Dark God of Ghanris. Humankinds first recorded encounter with the Dark God was when the unnamed hero found the altar of darkness embedded within the earth. It is now known that it was the presence of the heros blood, pressed next to the altar and beneath the skin, that awoke from his slumber. Within an instant, the Dark God had surveyed the entire world, and understood the entire relationship between humans and the dragons. And with a thimbleful from the ocean of his power, he bestowed upon the one who awoke him the means of ridding the dragons from the land. How I am knowledgeable in all of this, I will detail slightly further on, but for now take heed in these words, for knowing this is knowing the ultimate enemy.

It is said that in the second that the dark god awoke, every bieng in the universe felt a chill. Even the golden Wyrm - who had bested the old gods and was eldest and most powerful of Ghanris's slavemasters - is told to have shivered in terror as the eye of the dark god slid open. In spite of the sense of terror which was felt by the entirety of Ghanris on this biengs awakening, humankind labelled the Dark God a 'savior', due to his role in destroying the dragons. And yes, for three years after the dragons' demise, the world was free, and none felt the presence of that ancient evil. But then came the plague. Never in all of humankinds history had there been such a horrific pandemic stricken upon the world. A disease of which the symptoms were pure agony - the flesh of the eyelids rotted, in worse cases constantly exposing the eyes to the world; enormous Boils and sores erupted upon people skins, and toe and fingernails blackened and died. The worst cases suffered an irriversable, spreading necrosis beginning from all extremities which not even the greatest of magicians or herbalists could halt. Those cases were dead within a week. For two years this plague was carried throughout the winds to all corners of the world, affecting millions and causing suffering and agony to nearly everyone on the planet. I, myself, have lost several fingernails to the Dark Plague. As abruptly as the plague came, however, it disappeared two years later, overnight. The world breathed a sigh of relief, but a month later, word came from Gali'Mar of a large portion of land - some two miles long - of which all plantlife was dead, and the ground was barren soil. This blight grew throughout the years - it was as though the world was infected with the necrosis that the plague offered.

Slowly, in the span of about five years the world began a change. The sun grew less intense, allowing much less light and flickering weakly above and the land became treacherous, seeming to defy logic and have unnatural, evil things occur randomly. Magic dwindled away like dying coals of a fire: Even the greatest of archmagi soon were unable to so much as create a gust of wind to turn a page of a book. Eight years after the awakening of the Dark God, that same sense of dread began to creep within the souls of humankind, settling there until this current day. The Bringer of Darkness had finally decided to influence the world, and what we were shown was an evil far greater than the ancient dragons could ever hope to live up to. The Dark God was bleeding the planet, and using life as his own dark experiment which always ultimately led to death. Prayers sent to the God, which once were ignored, now were listened to. But those who sent their prayers to him were inflicted with disease, madness, mutation or death. It was rare that the Dark God granted a request from a prayer to him.

Reader. You may believe that the dark god cannot possibly be watching EVERY SINGLE person, but do not be fooled - he is more powerful than you could imagine. Merely speaking of him may bring his eye upon you. I am terrified to even write of him, even with protection from his view upon me.How do I have this protection, you may ask? That, my friends, is granted by one of the watchers - perhaps humankinds only hope on this sphere which I reluctantly call 'home'.

The Watchers and The TravellersFor many years the Dark god wreaked his havoc upon this now blasted land, and hope was drained from all humankind, for death was our only future. It wasn't until twenty three years ago that hope once again shone, for on the one hundred and thirty second day of the year 303 that humans beheld a light shining from above - as bright as our now-flimsy sun. From this light came a sense... a presence within us similar to which we felt on the awakening of the Dark God. However, where that presence had stricken utter terror within our hearts, this one comforted us. The beacon from above shone for three days before vanishing but another week after that, during council of the great lords of the land - of which I was scribing - in Daulshine, the capital of Thur'Mar, eleven biengs entered through the thick double-door into the council chamber. I had never in my life seen... or felt, biengs such as these. Following, is my account of the arrival of these people:

From the direction of the door, a single knock echoed before, without a hand touching it, the double-doors swung inwards. The mutterings of the High Lords ceased as a presence swept over them, engulfing their minds and souls as it did me, and offering a moments blessed respite from the constant terror dealt by the Dark Lord. Eleven, there were in total. Two forward and Nine back, but all standing regally, as though commanding respect. And respect was given, for all felt the portent of these. Standing in the middle of the hushed semicircular tables and staring at every person, and yet nobody in the room, the two spoke, alternating, first male, then the female."We are the greater, and those behind the lesser. Heed well our words, and spread them with much caution, for your world is no longer safe.""From creations birth, the greater have ever been. An instant beyond creations birth, the lesser were created by us. An instant after the instant of the lessers birth, the universe was molded within our hands, and caretakers were passed to each world, that they might mold life as we molded them.""The caretakers of your world have long since been dissolved; torn apart and placed into slumber by great scaled beasts which proved to be a blight on creation. And we watched. For we observe life and death that we may recreate.""However, that which should not be is so, for a bieng has stirred which was not of our creation. A bieng which should not exist, and yet does. For this bieng is as we, and yet different. We define meaning, and this bieng belies meaning, and is beyond us."As such, we have arrived to your dead world that we may watch, and learn that which should be known to us. This bieng, rather than create or destroy, plays with our creation and studies it.""That which should not be so is here, and as such, we must take measures which should not be so. Your Dark God takes an interest in Ghanris's biengs rather than decimate this world immediately and as such, we also take an interest in Ghanris's biengs. We would preserve those whom are outstanding in this world.""For from today is the day of heros, humans. Those who we should see fit will have their names recorded once their souls have departed from their bodies, and they shall travel with us once this land perishes to the next world the Dark God settles his presence over, that our studies can be furthered and a means concocted to remove this bane from our home."

After this introduction they shared to us who they were, which I will record following, reader, that you may call to them should you ever meet. Following this meeting with the Watchers, they disappeared from our sight. However, two days after this in the square of Daulshine during the night, a giant stone tablet erupted from the very ground - Nine feet high, and five across. This tablet, I believe, is where the names of those who are deemed worthy will be recorded. The Watchers can be seen and spoken to if need is genuinely felt, and only in certain places.

Whether anybody is aware of it or not, everybody follows one of these gods prominently - yes, even YOU, reader. If a follower of one of the gods acknowledges that they follow the standards of the god and meets the god, they will be endowed with blessings, that they might fully live out the standards to effect.

ChaosThe GreaterRa'lein of ChaosFrom nothing came Chaos. And chaos came by Ra'lein's hand. It is Ra'lein who is first and eldest of the watchers, and from he, comes creation in the form of raw chaos. Ra'lein is the first step in creation.Appearance: The form which Ra'lein has chosen to reveal to us is as that of a male human. Any more definition I cannot spare you, for whenever you change focus to any part of this watchers form, it has altered slightly, from slightly greyer hair, to a beard having shrunk or disappeared, to his clothing bieng a different hue, or perhaps stitched differently.

The LesserFelheu of DestructionMany people it seem regard chaos as destruction. However, this is completely untrue - Chaos is the state of undredictability and change. Destruction is... well, destruction. And for all creation, there must be destruction. A decomposition which recycles the essence of the universe to recreate it as new. Such is Felheu's task. Felheu is destruction and as such, he destroys. His destruction is not to seek the undoing of the universe, though, but rather to preserve it by allowing the raw chaos recycled by destruction to be made anew.Appearance: Felheu appeared to us in those chambers as a creature very similar to a human. Though humanoid in nature, atop his skull were two large, bony protrusions, curving backward to a point. These horns stretched approximately the length of a persons forearm. Black hair mottled the top of his head, and a clean-shaven face stared into your soul with green, vibrant eyes. His fingers edged off into claws, rather than nails, and in his left hand he did hold a pebble of stone, enveloped in a curious green flame. That pebble - wrapped within those curling flickers of lime - was crushed as though a million years of pressure tightened around it in three seconds, grounding it to powder, then haze. The pebble was reformed only to be destroyed again, however it was not reformed by Felheu's power, but rather by the power of the female hand of the watcher next to Felheu, which was suspended above Destructions grip.

Alama'que of ElementEven in creation and order, there is still chaos. In the shaped worlds given form from the chaos of Ra'lein, comes a forged form of unpredictability tempered into something definable, known as elements. Elements are raw chaos evolved with order to create form. Form of the elements comes in Fire, Water, Wind and Earth. And thus we have ordered chaos. Alama'que of Element is the one who imparts to the universe the chaos which is inside this order. Her purpose is to renew the universe by creating constant change, so that it may flourish and not grow stagnant on immobility.Appearance: Element appeared to us the the form of a humanoid female. Although instead of hair, crisp water constantly flowed from atop her head, down her back and to the floor where it disappeared into nothingness. Her eyebrows were streaked fire and beneath her enchanting eyes, one could see gusts and gales passing by each other. Her skin, though it was indeed skin, and appeared soft to the touch, was remeniscent of rich dirt. She wore upon her bodice a gown of which constantly changed colour, and blew in an unseen breeze.

Khi Paranei of DeathAs with everything, even life is made of chaos, ordered. Indeed, creation of life - from the body and soul and the functioning and synchronisation of each, it is only natural that the body is worn down slowly back into the natural, raw form of chaos. The process wherein the maintaining of the body requires too much effort of the soul and mind, thus extinguishing the body and separating, is called Death. And Khi Paranei is that which takes this role of chaos. This watcher is that which determines the time wherein the raw chaos within all things living has grown to the extent that life should be removed. The removal of life preserves the essence and soul so that it may be replaced somewhere else, elsewhere in the universe. Death promotes the destruction of the body - which is performed by Felheu - so that it may be returned into raw chaos once more to be recreated.Appearance: Death appeared to the great lords and myself as a figure of decomposition. Bone was visible in most places, and rotting flesh hung off various sections of Khi Paranei's body. Randomly, chunks of flesh may even fall from his body upon the ground, where it would lay for a few seconds, before shimmering into a grey, 'gooey' orb and arise once more, reattaching itself to a random part of Deaths body and forming into flesh once more. In his right hand, a thick-covered tome was grasped and though it seemed to have no pages, whenever Death opened the book to read in it, we could see far more writing than could be fathomed. After every time Khi paranei glanced to his book, the watcher next to him shimmered faintly, as though for an instant of an instant, he was not there.

Morden of collectionAs life and death cycles, chaos is created spontaneously, spread over the entire universe, and the unpredictability of this essence means a system cannot be formed to gather these for recreation. As such, Death and Collection is required. The act of collection is not so easily defined by order and chaos, and is seen as a medium and a transition between the two. Morden is closely tied to Khi Paranei, and is the collector of chaos, and the gatherer of life and death. It is this bieng who gathers the raw chaos for recreation, and the souls and minds for replacement upon death.Appearance: This bieng cannot be defined by 'male' or 'female', as it appeared to us as nothing more than a tattered, black cowl and material hovering at human-height. Beneath its dark grey hood was nothingness. Morden is near always seen beside or behind Khi Paranei, and is occasionally seen covering Khi Paraneis form, as though he were merely coverings for Deaths form. This leads me to believe that the two are actually seperate parts of one, allowing the one bieng to perform two tasks.

OrderThe GreaterSai'lein of OrderFrom chaos came Order. And order came by Sai'leins hand. Sai'lein is the second eldest and second of the watchers, and by her will, the universe was defined from chaos. Sai'lein is the second and final step in creation, and it is she who first shaped the universe from the raw chaos created by her twin brother, Ra'lein.Appearance: Sai'lein appeared to the great lords and myself as a rather plain, average looking woman. Her features were straight, as was her posture. Her hair, shoulder length and snow white, was shoulder height and impossibly straight. Everything was in strict array with her, though; even the creases in her servicable clothing were creased just so. Dispite her plain appearance, Sai'lein could never be mistaken for anyone else.

The LesserInilistis of CreationCreation is very nearly defined as Chaos, due to the fact that creation creates change. However, it is the construction and structure of creation which places it as order. Inilistis is granted the task of following Sai'leins first task of creating the universe from chaos, by utilising raw chaos which is created constantly, and recreating it.Appearance: Inilistis of creation appeared to us as a female, her hair placed in a tidy ponytail and flowing down to the middle of her back. She was slender in form, and very tidy. She stood next to Felheu, and one hand was placed over his, several inches away. From her hand, a faint crimson aura exhuded, and the pebble which Felheu had crushed into nothingness was recreated so that it may be crushed once more.

Krak'namagi of MechanicsAs there is chaos in the nature of element, there is order in the process of machines. Krak'namagi guides what we call 'technology'. It is he who instilled in our minds the ability to process, plan and sort. Of actions and reactions. Through the guidance Krak'namagi has placed into us from creation, we have been able to learn, and even create order out of chaos ourselves, by creating efficient machinary from raw materials.Appearance: This ones appearance was most amazing, indeed. I would never have been able to comprehend such a thing had I not seen it. Krak'namagi was indeed humanoid, although in many places of his body, metal and shining blue lights and readers were in place of skin. His head was enveloped in a metal casing in which a semi-transparent visor allowed him to peer out. Of all the gods, I may say that this one was most visually stunning.

Szeiner of LifeAnd as the cycle turns evermore, Life and order is created once more from death and chaos. Szeiner of Life is that which takes the separated souls and minds of death, chooses where to replace them, and replaces them. An important factor in the cycle, is he, to retaining the universe.Appearance: Szeiner is another curious appearing Wanderer. His form is simply human - Dusty coloured hair cut short and a neat beard. However, if you see him from the corner of the eye, you may notice four faint, spherical wisps of light circling his bodice. if staring directly at Szeiner, you are unable to see these apparitions. I believe that these wisps are essences of people of great importance who have yet to be placed in a body, but will be when time and place requires them once more. I have been unable to learn more of this.

Eriphen of NatureIndeed, there is much more to 'life' than humans, which must be taken into account. Birds of prey, sheep, wolves. Indeed, trees. Funguses, fruits. All have life retained within them, and all have a balance of order and chaos. Eriphen is the watcher or nature. It is he, who designs and creates the soul-less life, specifically, for each and every world. Life is the key for the balance of which will allow this universe to stay alive, and thus Eriphen takes an important role in maintaining the balance of flora and fauna.Appearance: Eriphen appeared to us as a male, well-tanned and shirtless - with only a loincloth garbing him. His head was bald, and all upon his body was markings. Imprints of plants and animals - many of which I had never seen before - which seemed to move and tell a tale of nature as he moved. There appeared to be millions more animals - some mundane and simple, others terrifying and enormous - tattoed upon him than which should be able to fit, but still it did.

Zey of recordsAs with all great plans, all events must be recorded, and the plans of the universe are the greatest of all. This is where Zey takes place. It is Zey who records everything. Every aspect of life that happens or has ever happened anywhere in the universe. It is Zey who dictates knowledge, intelligence, experience and wisdom, and it is Zey who compelled me to write these scrolls you are reading at the very moment, dear reader. It is also Zey who has spared me a slight respite from the dark ones eye, that I might record all of this. Zey is my watcher, and I his follower.Appearance: Zey has the appearance of a scholar in every aspect. Finely crafted glasses sit atop his nose. His face is slightly wrinkled to show maturity, age and wisdom, and a wisp of white hair adorns his head, along with a medium length beard upon his chin. In his left hand is a quill, with a feather of an un-nameable bird. In his right hand is a single piece of unrolled parchment on which he occasionally touches the tip of his quill upon.

Though these gods will preserve what they called 'Heros', I believe - and had the impression - that they meant the word not in such a manner as we understand it. Saving people, slaying 'evil' and helping economic growth of a city means nothing to them in the scheme of things. I must leave it to you to determine what these people define heros as.

'Good and Evil' is an illusion created by humankind to define that which makes them and others feel good and bad. The Watchers are beyond such concepts. To them, humans follow Order or Chaos, but both sides are equally important to create balance and preserve the universe.

Dear reader. Though you will probably be reading this seconds after you read my previous scroll, it has been more than a year since I wrote last. Before the ink was dry on my writings of the wanderers, I was instilled with a sudden urge to embark on a journey. Where I travelled will be noted later in this scroll, but suffice it to say it was not a short journey, nor was it easy. At the end of my journey I was met by none other than Zey himself, and was informed of knowledge which I share to you now.

Pilgrimage and MagicAs noted in my previous texts, every human - whether knowingly or not - follows the ways of one of the wanderers, and if you realise this and acknowledge it, the favour of that god may smile upon you. However, if you were to initiate a pilgrimage and seek out the wanderer on which you are attuned, that wanderer may deem you worthy to hold power which can be used to carry out its bidding. Each wanderer has taken up residence in a different location in the world - and a temple to that wanderer will have appeared in each location. No location is easy to get to, however, and managing to make it to that temple is the initial test for worth. Some wanderers may take it upon themselves to conduct more tests, however that is up to their discretion. Everyone who survives this pilgrimage will be granted permanent respite from the dread within us all from the dark god, and additionally to this, the wanderers may give power - I would say they give magic, but that would not be entirely true. What the wanderers give is a means to further live out and define their chosen way of life. Reader; if you have the courage to seek a temple, you will do well to read on. I will share with you the locations and what gift is given from each wanderer. But be warned! A pilgrimage is NOT an easy task. Many trials and dangers await for any who conduct a journey. The Greater do not have sacred places as everyone already follows Ra'lein, Sai'lein or both.

Altar of FelheuThe Altar of Felheu lies within the ruins of Chagrana; an ancient city which used to be deep within the forests of Demis'so. The altar is where the two great courtyards of Chagrana intersected just south of the remains of the royal palace.Casters of Felheu: Das'Felheunigath ( Unmakers )Das'Felheunigath's, or Unmakers, are able to use powers with the purpose of breaking down and destroying things. Such powers include inflicting plagues and diseases, rotting wood, making metals rust and so on. As their power grows, Unmakers are eventually able to break down plant or non-organic matter into raw chaos. Though they cannot do anything with this raw chaos, this is a key component in creation.

Shrine of Alama'queThe shrine of Alama'que lies about three hundred miles south of the continent of Gali'mar, floating atop the seas. The shrine rests on a circular platform and is a circular, domed building. Within the building is nothing but unbridled elements. Anyone who enters will find themselves buffetted by wind, scorched by fire, suffocated by water and crushed by earth.Casters of Alama'que: Das'Alama'quetith ( Callers )Das'Alama'quetiths, or Callers, are able to manipulate the forces of elements; calling fire, earth, water and wind to do their biddings. As their power grows, they will be able to hold control over more of the elements; for example, when starting one may be able to call a spark to light a campfire. After their power grows, they may be able to create the entire fire.

Library of Khi ParaneiThe library of Khi Paranei lies on Gali'mar, in the middle of the Darager Swamplands. The library is a refuge from the steamy, suffocating swamp, and in there is a collection of books so vast it would take a millenea to count the books, let alone read them all - even still the library seems only a hundred meters long from the outside. The books contain records of every death so far in existence.Casters of Khi Paranei: Das'Paranei ( Cursers )Das'Paranei, or Cursers, are able to use their powers to do anything to inconvenience or reduce the lifespan of a living thing. Spells which confuse, blind, daze, deafen or cause insanity. Even spells that chop a few months or even years of a creatures natural life span. Eventually, Cursers are able to break down living matter into raw chaos.

Plateau of MordenThe Plateau of Morden is quite barren compared to some of the structures and locations of the other wanderers. Deep within the bowels of the Grit Desert on Thur'mar rests a mountain. A flimsy path trails its way up to the top of that mountain where the Plateau lies.

Casters of Morden: Das'Mordral ( Shifters )Das'Mordral, or Shifters, are able to use their powers to move objects and themselves. This can include summoning, magically pushing, pulling or moving objects, and even teleportation as their power grows. Das'Mordral also become light of feet, able to move faster for longer then most others. They are also adept at moving stealthily.

Temple of InilistisSeated within the Northern Gali'mar woodlands is the Temple of Inilistis. The temple itself is quite extravagant. Stone pillars, stairs, altars and obelisks litter the entire area, and in the center of this temple is a great tower. That tower seems to be slowly growing in size as time passes.Casters of Inilistis: Das'Inilisticus ( Creationists )Das'Inilisticus, or Creationists, may use their powers for the purpose of creating anything fauna or non-organic. To create anything from base, raw chaos is required. Creationists cannot obtain raw chaos through their own powers, and must rely on Cursers or destructionists to provide this. As power grows, more complex items can be created. Additionally, Creationists are able to 'imbue' items which already exist. They are able to make that sword just that little bit sharper, lighter and more balanced. They can make that candle burn for a while longer than it normally would have, and so on.

Workshop of Krak'namagiTelli'so is the location of Krak'namagi's workshop. A structured building is carved within the icy slopes of the Ju'li wastes. The inside of this workshop has many peculiar odds-and-ends. Several burning forges are located on the walls, benches are set up all over the place and mostly unidentifiable tools are seated atop these benches. In the far back of the workshop is a room full of insane inventions, from glass screens which show strange moving pictures, to brushes designed for scrubbing grime from ones teeth! The rooms are all lit by strange glowing orbs in the roof.

Casters of Krak'namagi: Das'namaginiga ( Mechanists )Das'namaginiga, or Mechanists, are perhaps the least 'magical' gifted people of the wanderers. Mechanists are able to combine unlikely objects and form an item suited for a specific purpose. If anyone else were to attempt to make an object using the same principles and materials of a Mechanist, they would fail. Additionally, they are able to fuse together objects without the use of glues or solders, tapes or string. They are able to find any flaws in any creations.

Cavern of SzeinerDeep within the caves of the southern Thur'mar mountain ranges lies the Cavern of Szeiner. Szeiner chooses this subterrainean place because this is where life often begins - deep beneath the soil where the lowest of forms struggle to evolve into something greater.

Casters of Szeiner: Das'Szeinerzin ( Vitalists )Das'Szeinerzin, or Vitalists, are able to manipulate life. Through use of healing and prevention of diseases they are able to prolong life, and By utilising raw chaos and embedding it into a corpse, they are able to artificially animate the dead for a short period of time. All Vitalists are highly resistant to plagues, diseases and poisons.

Glade of Eriphen A simple glade in the middle of the lush rainforest in Telli'so is the location of Eriphens sanctuary. As one gets closer to the location of the Glade of Eriphen, they will begin seeing a large variety of different and exotic plants and animals.

Casters of Eriphen: Das'Eriphen ( Morphists )Das'Eriphen or Morphists, are able to manipulate non-human nature to their biddings. Communication with animals, charming animals, stopping the Dark Gods influence on trees attacking people. As they grow in power, Morphists are able to manipulate raw chaos on themselves to temporarily give them plant or animal-like attributes. Morphists may also eventually be able to manipulate large amounts of raw chaos to create new or existing animals or plants.

Tome of ZeyThis is the location, dear reader, I journeyed to in the last year. In the middle of Que'so, within the deserts there lies a strange pedestal jutting up from the sands. On that pedestal sits a single, thick tome. The book is leather-bound and written in it is all the knowledge of the universe - unfortunately, Only Zey himself is able to fathom the book and none other may read it.

Casters of Zey: Das'Zey ( Scribes )Das'Zey, or Scribes, will never forget anything they do not wish to forget. They are immune to all mental effects including insanity, confusion or memory loss. Scribes are able to leech knowledge from other sources, and as their power grows, they are able to alter the knowledge of other people - making them remember things they never witnessed, or forget things they did.